Little Sable Point Light

History…

The Little Sable Point Lighthouse is 115 feet high and one of the tallest working lighthouses on Lake Michigan, visible for 19 miles. In continuous operation since 1874, it is a guardian to ships that pass the Silver Lake Sand Dunes at Mears, Michigan.

With the grounding of the schooner “Pride” on Little Sable Point in 1871, cries for the construction of a lighthouse at what was then known as Petite Pointe Au Sable swelled. In 1872, O. M. Poe, the Major of Engineers of the Eleventh Lighthouse District, wrote to the Lighthouse Board requesting that land for a lighthouse be reserved in the area. Congress appropriated $35,000 for the project, and 39 acres of land were selected on which to construct the new light station. Crews completed the project in 1873, at a cost of $28,886.

The original name given and used on most official records was “Petite Pointe Au Sable Lighthouse”. On May 9, 1910 the official name of the light was changed to “Little Sable Point Light Station” by the Lighthouse board.

It did not take long before mariners began complaining that the natural brick coloration made the tower difficult to see during daylight hours. As a result, the tower was painted white on September 24, 1900. The tower remained in its white painted condition until 1977, when the tower was sandblasted in an effort to reduce ongoing maintenance costs.

In December 1954, with electrical power extended to the station, the kerosene lamp was replaced with a 250-watt electrical lamp within the Fresnel lens. At this time, the rotating mechanism was also removed from the tower, giving the light a new fixed characteristic. With the station unmanned, the Coast Guard began to see the ancillary buildings as a liability, and in the first half of 1955 a crew arrived at the station and demolished everything but the tower.

The 39 acres of the original station are now part of the Silver Lake State Park, and a paved parking lot has been constructed a short distance behind the dunes, giving bathers a close path to the beach. The lighthouse is open for tours during the summer months.

Getting There…

Follow US-31 to the Shelby Road Exit. Follow Shelby Road west to B-15 (Scenic Drive). Follow B-15 to Silver Lake Road. Turn left onto Silver Lake Road (next to Mac Wood’s Dune Rides). Follow the winding, paved road to the Little Sable Point Light Station.

Clues…

Due east of the lighthouse, find two pair of isolated wooden posts flanking a faint trail that heads up a small sandy hill. Walk through the posts toward the treeline. Upon reaching the foundation, proceed northward along the treeline, down a hill to a gnarly oak on your right. Just past the oak, turn into the trees and head eastward about 50-60 paces to a tree with many arms, holding up a fallen neighbor. In the hollow base of the fallen tree find the letterbox.

NOTE… This is a very busy area during the summer. Please be discreet when searching for the box and carry it away from the hiding spot to stamp in. When replacing the box, make sure to wedge it in tightly so that it is not visible when walking past.